A billion degrees, the thermometer said today. And the day before. And the day before. So when I’m at the park watching sweat-slicked moms pull damp t-shirts from their skin like wrappers off a fruit roll-up, and they’re pushing strollers and hauling wagons and painfully smiling through We’re-all-gonna-die-on-this-playground expressions, I’m thinking “Oh my God, these people are crazy. Who would go out in this heat?” Until I realize I’m here too, so that makes us all a little sun buzzed.

A thick stew of heat and humidity, the air has been uncomfortably stagnant. Running in this heat actually sounds like relief because at least the motion would provide some kind of air current. Instead, we join kids with red cheeks and sticky foreheads at the park, and I convince Lainey out of her long-sleeve t-shirt and have her settle for a tank top and rolled pants.

We join forces with nature for an afternoon heat compromise of ice cream and cooling storms.

Our Weekend:

Tomatoes. Sliced and well-peppered.

Lavender. Delightfully fragrant and taking the center spotlight at the plant window right now.

Goodwill Finds. I scored like the Knicks this weekend, swiping up a couple fall sweaters, a worry doll vest for Lainey and these $2.50 vintage suede/leather beauts. I’m going to rock them this fall with some tweed.

Ice Cream Parties. Torrential rains foiled our Dairy Queen plans last night, so we brought the party inside.

She’s asking us to lead her through spelling everything these days. It takes a long time, but she is patient. I spent an entire “relaxing” bath the other night dictating the letters to “Please everybody, I need to tell you that these chapsticks are Lainey’s and please don’t take them or Nella will take the caps off. Thank you.” Every single letter. And God forbid, she flip an “M” into a “W” because she’ll get frustrated and start from the beginning again.

Rain Dance. Fred Astaire ain’t got nothin’ on this.

Cats. Lainey asked if she and Nella could be cats today. So I painted their faces, and they crawled around on the floor and meowed and licked their palms. Nella did exactly what Lainey did. Except Lainey didn’t fall asleep; Nella did that on her own.

This Crazy Face she’s made since she was a baby. She knows it slays me.

Driveway Duck Feeding.

That’s a wrap.

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Dashing Bee offers you a great way to shop for unique, inexpensive clothing for all of your kids. Use Code SUMMER40 for 40% off all spring and summer clothing items.

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I’ll be over at Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect for a “Rock Your Life” party tomorrow–making the best of the bad moments, moving forward, finding ways to be inspired and passing it on. Join me for some great question and answers and fun giveaways. And virtual air conditioning.

For all those experiencing similar summer scorchers, an icy Cheers! from a chilled glass to you tonight.

I have a whole lotta catching up with friends to do. It started in the driveway the night we rolled in from our trip and continues tonight in–oh, about twenty minutes when I get picked up to go out.

So a little enjoying today.

Enjoying:

Debby Does Naples.
And by that I mean, of course, Debby the Tropical Storm who rolled in to our beaches with her crazy wind and her big waves.

When we know it’s not too dangerous, we always try to hit the beach before or after storms because it really is spectacular. In 2004, before Hurricane Charley and certainly before the boys were old enough to understand what qualifies as “My parents embarrass me,” we actually went to the beach as a family in–wait for it–orange plastic parkas. Kid you not. Made fake weather update videos and took pictures of surfers. It was a real blast.

Not-Your-Grandma’s Spoonrack.
Okay, maybe it’s still a grandma spoonrack, but that just makes it sweeter because seeing it makes me remember the exact one my grandma had hanging over the barstools, right above the cookie jar with the Fig Newtons. The dark wood rack was full of spoons she collected on mission trips. I found one at an antique shop in Michigan–brought it home, gave it a bath, fed it some cookies, painted it yellow, and now it’s happy. And so am I.

Friends with Benefits.
And by benefits I, of course, mean felt teepees.

My friend Rebecca has a felt teepee, and if you knew Rebecca, you’d understand why I didn’t even flinch when I arrived to the park the other day to find her holding her kid’s hand in one hand and a giant teepee, folded up in a mess of 6-foot sticks and wadded felt, in the other. We hauled the teepee over half a mile of boardwalk to our supersecretspot in the woods–the one where the gnomes live. It felt very summer camp adventurous–especially that part where the rat snake slithered across our walking path.

You know that part in Parent Trap where Hayley Mills scares the bears away? Yeah.

Dogs Who Photobomb

What I was trying to take a picture of:

Birthday Traditions
In keeping with good traditions, I took Lainey to the dollar store today to pick out ten things for Brett. The rule (per Brett) is simple: I butt out of all gift decisions. She intently scoured every inch of Dollar Tree and settled on a pair of new scissors, some rope (“to make crafts”), two car wash sponges–one pink, one blue (“so we can wash the cars together”), two packs of flower seeds (“so we can plant together”), a roll of paper towel (“so you can clean”), a cheap pair of outdated craplastic sunglasses and a card that inside reads “Time to cough up a big thank you” This whole ordeal makes Brett’s birthday one of my favorite times of the year. I can’t stop smiling.

Lainey enjoyed it immensely.

Hope you all are enjoying your week as well.

So sad to hear of Nora Ephron’s death. I ordered I Feel Bad About my Neck today in honor of her. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while now.

I love her quote: “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”

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Congratulations to the giveaway winner of the Piper and Paisley hat:

Comment #17, figwittage: I love that the sun pours in my bedroom windows in the morning and I can see stars and airplanes at night. There’s no place like home… past and present. xx

Figwittage (I recognize you from Instagram!), please e-mail your contact info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net with the subject line PIPER AND PAISLEY GIVEAWAY, and your next bad hair day will be all taken care of.

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Happy Thursday!

It is uncharacteristic of me to have suitcases unpacked the day after a trip. It is even more uncharacteristic of me to have the clothes washed, folded and put away. But being away for three weeks made the return home seem feel so good that I’m appreciating every little thing about our home so much more. I’ve spent the last two rainy days tending to our house. Cleaning, folding, lighting candles, finding places for the little treasures I picked up along our travels.

I’m inspired to tackle some small home projects like new paint this summer, but I’m also feeling more settled in contentment about the older, worn edges of our home for which I’ve always had an improvement plan.

This is where we come home.

I hope my girls grow up with memories of adventure–favorite travel stories and vivid descriptions of road trips and camping and landmark exploration that they will recall at the Thanksgiving table years from now. But what they’ll remember most is the foundation of home–the substance of all the morning routines, family meals, creative afternoons, bedtime rituals, kitchen gatherings and lazy Sundays that cushion the excitement of outside adventure.

Appropriately, Lainey and I read Let’s Go Home before bed tonight (by Cynthia Rylant–a must-have for a child’s library). My favorite line is on the very first page: “…no matter the kind of house, it is the living inside that makes it wonderful, what happens in each room that makes it marvelous to those who live there.”

After 4,000 miles on the road, tonight I am loving the living inside our home–what’s happening in each room that makes it marvelous to us.

Nella pushes her baby in a stroller only a couple yards before she can’t bear to let the baby go unheld another minute. She always ends up ditching the stroller and walking away, baby in arms. A baby-wearing proponent, for sure.

The best part about travel is the fulfilment of adventure and the comfort that comes from the last statement…”Let’s Go Home.”

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I wanted to make mention of a talented seamstress making some fabulous hats, a few which I took on vacation and loved. Piper and Paisley offers a wide variety of hat styles and patterns great for on-the-go moms or anyone who loves accessories.

Wearing the Gillian Hat in Chicago

Wearing the Golden Yellow Slouch Hat in Michigan

Use code “etst10” for 10% off your order. One randomly selected commenter from this post will receive a free hat, a gift from Piper and Paisley.

Tell me…what do you love most about your home?

I love the the light that pours in our front doors in the morning, the worn wood floors in Nella’s room, and the way the island and counter stools in our kitchen beg for people to come sit and talk to you while you cook.

I’ll be back tomorrow evening for Hallmark post.